Double-stracture tube

ABSTRACT

A double-structure tube includes an exterior, a pump member, which includes an external cylinder having a first discharge outlet at one end and the inner cylinder having a second discharge outlet at one end, wherein the external cylinder and the inner cylinder are connected to each other at their other ends, respectively, and wherein the inner cylinder is placed in the exterior and the external cylinder is exposed, and a built-in balloon, which is coupled to the inner cylinder for plugging the second discharge outlet, wherein the exterior and the pump member are separably connected to each other, and wherein the built-in balloon is placed in the exterior.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention has been made by the members of MIMURA Seminar, College of Law, Nihon Univ. as a team. This invention relates to a tubular container, specifically to a double-structure tube that contents therein can be finished up completely.

2. Description of the Invention

A tube in the related art, which stores semisolid contents such as toothpaste or ketchup, includes a body that is formed in a single-layer structure.

While the main stream of the material for these tubes in the related art was an aluminum production because it is superior in term of airtightness, and is suitable for long term storage of the contents being predisposed to the effect of air, the current main stream thereof for the tube are the laminated production because of its elasticity and its resiliency. These tubes are made of sheets, which are laminated with synthetic resin such as plastic, special paper, aluminum foil.

In order to discharge the contents from this laminate tube, the tube is pressed from the outside so that the content is squeezed out. In case that a large amount of contents are remained therein, it is possible to discharge a desired amount with a small force. However when the remaining amount of the contents in the tube is little, it is not easy to discharge the contents completely because of the material of the tube having characteristic of restorability.

Therefore, according to the tube in the related art, not only the contents does not only become useless, also release a strong odor where the remaining contents are rotten.

In order to resolve the above problem, this present invention provide a tube, whose contents can be discharged completely, without changing the material of the main body of the laminate tube having elasticity and restorability

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to resolve the above-described problem and to provide a tube that improves a structure of a main body for storing contents.

The objective is achieved by a double-structure tube having a structure as follows. The double-structure tube of the invention includes an exterior, a pump member, which includes an external cylinder having a first discharge outlet at one end and the inner cylinder having a second discharge outlet at one end, wherein the external cylinder and the inner cylinder are connected to each other at their other ends, respectively, and wherein the inner cylinder is placed in the exterior and the external cylinder is exposed, and a built-in balloon, which is coupled to the inner cylinder for plugging the second discharge outlet, wherein the exterior and the pump member are separably connected to each other, and wherein the built-in balloon is placed in the exterior.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a double-structure tube, according to the-first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a double-structure tube in the state that a pump member is detached from an exterior, according to the second embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a double-structure tube in the state that contents is being injected in a built-in balloon, according to the second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiment of the invention as to a double-structure tube is explained together with drawings as follows. In each drawing, the same reference numbers designate the same or similar components through all embodiments.

The First Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 1, the double-structure tube 100 of the present invention includes an exterior 1 having an opening at its one end, a built-in balloon 3, which has an opening at its one end, for storing contents directly, a pump member 11 having an external cylinder 7, an inner cylinder 8, and a shoulder member 13, wherein the pump member 11 includes a first discharge outlet 2 at the one end of the external cylinder 7 and a second discharge outlet 10 at the one end of the inner cylinder 8, and a cap 5 for covering the first discharge outlet 2, which is coupled with the pump member 11. The external cylinder 7 and the inner cylinder 8 are connected to each other at their other end, respectively, and the shoulder member 13 is connected thereto at the location where the external cylinder 7 and the inner cylinder 8 are connected. The built-in balloon 3 is couple to the periphery of the inner cylinder 8 for plugging the second discharge outlet 10. The shoulder member 13 of the pump member 11, which is connected to the built in balloon 3, is thermally bonded with the exterior 1, and the inner cylinder 8 is placed in the exterior 1 and the external cylinder 7 is exposed to air. Therefore, the built-in balloon 3 is stored in the exterior 1. The external cylinder 7 has a first screw thread 20 on its periphery. On the other hand, the cap 5 has a second screw thread 21 on its inner surface, and the second screw thread 21 carries out engaging of clutch to the first screw thread 20. It is possible to combine the cap 5 with the pump member 11 by coupling the first and second screw thread 20 and 21, and the first discharge outlet 2 of the pump member 11 is closed by that operation.

The exterior 1 is made of sheets, which are laminated with synthetic resin, special paper, and aluminum foil, etc. The dashed line 6 is formed on the exterior 1 at a location near the thermal bonding part with the discharge member 11. The dashed line 6 is preferably formed at an area which is 2 cm away from the thermal bonding part. By pulling the exterior 1 while holding the discharge member 11, the built-in balloon 3 is exposed because the exterior 1 is separated from the discharge material 11 at the dashed line 6. Since the contents of the double-structure tube 100 is stored in the built in balloon 3, there is no problem even the dashed line 6 is formed with holes which are penetrated through the exterior 1.

The pump member 11 was formed by plastics molding, and the pump member 11 includes the external cylinder 7 having the first screw threads 20 on its periphery and the inner cylinder 8 having a hook 9 at the second discharge outlet 10. The built-in balloon 3 is placed by covering the inner cylinder 8 and the hook 9. The hook 9 serves to hold the built-in balloons 3 on the inner cylinder 8 at the time of the actual use.

The built-in balloon 3 is form of natural rubber like elastic material in order to make it possible to let all contents discharge completely. While the shape of the built-in balloon 3 is long and thin in the state without the contents, when contents are injected, its shape becomes almost identical with that of the exterior 1. Therefore, when contents are injected into the built-in balloon 3, the surface of the built-in balloon 3 touches to the internal surface of the exterior 1. Further, it is possible to form the built-in balloon 3 of transparent material so that the residue of contents is visible. Since the built-in balloon 3 is exposed to air through the hole of the dashed line 6, it's preferable to perform the anti-deterioration process to the surface thereof. For contacting the built-in balloon 3 with the internal surface of the exterior 1 and for preventing adhesive bonding of the built-in balloon 3 because of the wrinkles being formed by use, the talc acting as release agent or adhesion prevention agent may be attached on the surface of the built-in balloon 3. The built-in balloon 3 is formed of thin material relatively.

Therefore, the contents don't come out through the first and second discharge outlets 2 and 10, only by the tensility of the material of the built-in balloon 3.

This double-structure tube 100 is formed as follows. The exterior 1 having the dash line 6 is thermally bonded with the shoulder member 13 having the built-in balloon 3 by encompassing the outer surface of the shoulder member 13 with the exterior 1. In this state, since the contents has not been injected yet, the built-in balloon 3 is in the shriveled state. Therefore, the built-in balloon 3 is not in contact with the internal surface of the exterior 1. Next, after thermal bonding for the exterior 1 and the pump member 11 is completed, the contents are injected into the built-in balloon 3 from the first discharge outlet 2 located at the top of the external cylinder 7. The built-in balloon 3 swells due to the contents injected so that the external surface of the built-in balloon 3 contacts to the inner surface of the exterior 1. In this state, since the built-in balloon 3 formed by natural rubber is forced to be swollen by the contents injected, the power, which tries to return to the original form by its tension is applied. Then, the double-structure tube 100 of the first embodiment is completed by attaching the cap 5. When it is difficult to discharge the remaining contents for the reason that the built-in balloon 3 is shrunk by the use of the contents, the built-in balloon 3 may be exposed by separating the exterior 1 from the pump member 11 along the dash line 6. After that, the remaining contents can be used by squeezing the exposed built-in balloon 3 directly.

The Second Embodiment

The material of the exterior 1 and the built-in balloon 3 used in the first embodiment is the same as used in the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2A, a double-structure tube 200 according to the second embodiment includes a pump member 11 having a first discharge outlet 2 and a second discharge outlet 10, a lid 4 being formed with the pump member 11 integrally for covering the first discharge outlet 2, a built-in balloon 3 being coupled to the pump member 11 for plugging the second discharge outlet 10, and an exterior 14. The pump member 11 and the lid 4 may be formed integrally by plastic molding. The exterior 14 includes an engage member 15 at its upper area. The engage member 15 includes a first screw thread 25 on its periphery. The pump member 11 includes a second screw thread 27 on its inner surface. The pump member 11 can be coupled with the exterior 1 by engaging the first and second screw threads 25 and 27. The built-in balloon 3 is in the shriveled state because the contents is not yet injected.

In this state, the built-in balloon 3 is inserted into the exterior 14, and the pump member 11 and the exterior 14 is coupled by engaging the first and second screw threads 25 and 27.

Since the contents are not yet injected into the built-in balloon 3, it can be easily inserted into the exterior 14 from the engaging member 15. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2B, the contents are injected into the built-in balloon 3 from the first discharge outlet 2 and the second discharge outlet According to the second embodiment, when it is difficult to discharge the remaining contents for the reason that the built-in balloon 3 is shrunk by the use of the contents, the built-in balloon 3 may be exposed by separating the exterior 14 from the pump member 11 in the way for decoupling the first and second screw threads 25 and 27. Further, according to the second embodiment, in the case that there is no need to discharge all of the remaining contents, it is possible to re-couple the pump member 11 to the exterior 14 again. Therefore, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the double-structure tube of the second embodiment, the contents can be used in an efficient way. While the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, shapes, size and physical relationship of each component are roughly illustrated so the scope of the invention should not be construed to be limited to them. Further, to clarify the components of the invention, hatching is partially omitted in the cross-sectional views. Moreover, the numerical description in the embodiment described above is one of the preferred examples in the preferred embodiment so that the scope of the invention should not be construed to limit to them.

While the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, shapes, size and physical relationship of each component are roughly illustrated so the scope of the invention should not be construed to be limited to them. Further, to clarify the components of the invention. hatching is partially omitted in the cross-sectional views. Moreover, the numerical description in the embodiment described above is one of the preferred examples in the preferred embodiment so that the scope of the invention should not be construed to limit to them.

Various other modifications of the illustrated embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art on reference to this description. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention 

We claim:
 1. A double-structure tube, comprising: an exterior; a pump member, which includes an external cylinder having a first discharge outlet at one end and the inner cylinder having a second discharge outlet at one end wherein the external cylinder and the inner cylinder are connected to each other at their other ends, respectively, wherein the inner cylinder is placed in the exterior and the external cylinder is exposed; and a built-in balloon, which is coupled to the inner cylinder for plugging the second discharge outlet, wherein the exterior and the pump member are separably connected to each other and wherein the built-in balloon is placed in the exterior.
 2. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exterior and the pump member are thermally bonded, and wherein the exterior includes a dash line, which is formed adjacent to the thermal bonding area, for separating the exterior from the pump member.
 3. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the built-in balloon being filled with contents is almost the same as that of the exterior.
 4. A double structure tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shape of the built-in balloon being filled with contents is almost the same as that of the exterior.
 5. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pump member includes a first screw thread on its periphery, and further comprising a cap having a second screw thread on its inner surface for coupling with the first screw thread.
 6. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pump member includes a t first screw thread on its periphery, and further comprising a cap having a second screw thread on its inner surface for coupling with the first screw thread.
 7. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pump member includes a cap having a second screw thread on its inner surface for coupling with the first screw thread.
 8. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pump member includes a first screw thread on its periphery, and further comprising a cap having a second screw thread on its inner surface for coupling with the first screw thread.
 9. A double-structure tube, comprising: an exterior having an engage member; a pump member, which includes an external cylinder having a first discharge outlet at one end and the inner cylinder having a second discharge outlet at one end wherein the external cylinder and the inner cylinder are connected to each other at their other ends, respectively, and wherein the inner cylinder is placed in the exterior and the external cylinder is exposed; a lid, which is formed with the pump member integrally, for covering the first discharge outlet; and a built-in balloon, which is coupled to the pump material for plugging the second discharge outlet, the engaging member is detachably engaged with the pump member, and wherein, the built-in balloon is placed in the exterior.
 10. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pump member includes a first screw thread on its inner surface and where the engaging member includes a second thread on its periphery for coupling with the first screw thread.
 11. A double-structure tube claimed in claim 9, wherein the shape of the built-in balloon being filled with contents is almost the same as that of the exterior.
 12. A double-structure tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shape of the built-in balloon being filled with contents is almost the same as that of the exterior. 